Loaded Questions
by Orange Bulldog
Summary: Just a little story about how Willow and Tara could have gotten together. Reviews welcome!


Disclaimers:

These are obviously not my characters, I"m just borrowing them from Joss Whedon and anyone else who owns them.

If you have issues with people of the same sex loving each other, or live someplace where that's illegal (in which case, consider moving) please move on.

Words in _italics_ are thoughts.

I've always wondered how Willow and Tara actually got together, since they didn't show us on the show.

Pairing: Willow/Tara

Rating: PG

"Willow, show me again why an Sn1 reaction gives a racemic mixture!" Tara was frustrated with her organic chemistry homework.

"Oh well it's like this, wait I'll draw a picture..." and Willow was off, explaining. Tara was very glad she had met Willow the semester they were both taking the class. Science came so easily to her. _Oops! I forgot to listen to what she's saying again_!

"Want to take a break from the orgo for awhile?" Willow asked sympathetically, noticing her friend's attention wandering.

"Sure." _I'd rather study you...no, bad Tara! Willow's definitely straight!_

"So....I still don't know much about you, other than the magic stuff. What's your family like, why'd you come to UC Sunnydale, do you have a boyfriend, whatever." _Why did I ask that last question? I'm pretty sure Tara doesn't have a boyfriend, or she'd have mentioned him by now. I just wanted to know for sure. Why? Let's not think about why_.

"Whoa, loaded questions there. Family....I'd rather not talk about. Suffice it to say we don't get along. I came to Sunnydale to get away from them. They gave me the best financial aid of all the UC schools, that's why I chose here. And...no b-boyfriend, no." _I'm not quite ready to tell Willow exactly why I don't have a boyfriend_.

"I don't know why not. I think you're really pretty." _Why did I say that!! It sounded weird_!

Tara blushed and looked down.

"Well, um, to tell you the truth I d-don't want a boyfriend."

"Oh, why, did you get hurt by someone? That can really suck." _Don't I know it_.

"No...it's not that. I'm n-not interested in b-boys at all." _There! I said it! Now just hope she doesn't freak._

"Oh."_Does that mean she's interested in girls_? "You mean, like, you're gay?"

Tara just nodded.

"Oh. Okay." _Oh. Um...say something Willow before she thinks you are freaked!_ "Is that why you don't get along with your family?"

"No....my dad doesn't know about that actually. It's the m-magic we fight over. Long story."

"I'm sorry." Willow took Tara's hand and squeezed it gently before letting go.

"So do you have a girlfriend then?"

Tara smiled and shook her head, looking down again.

"M-maybe we should get back to the orgo?" _Too many questions! I might just turn as red as her hair. Her soft hair...no no, orgo! Think about the orgo!_

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That night, Willow lay awake in her bed.

Why can't I sleep? You know why you can't sleep. Great, now I'm talking to myself. Fine, I can't sleep because of Tara.

Willow sighed and rolled over.

Yes, because of Tara. I like her more than I want to admit. Liking girls more than I wanted to admit was never a problem before. At least I knew they wouldn't like me back like that, so it didn't matter. I could just go on not admitting it. But Tara...she likes girls. So she could like me back. Do I want that?

She looked over at Buffy's empty bed.

I wish I had someone to talk to about this. But Buffy's always gone and I don't think I could talk to her anyway. Tara's the only person I know who's gay, and hello!

What do I want them to tell me anyway? That it's okay to like Tara? Okay to want to kiss her? Okay Willow, just admit it, you have a crush on Tara.

"I have a crush on Tara." She said out loud to test it out.

"Ug, fine! Now what am I supposed to do about it!" she flopped back over onto her stomach.

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The girls continued to get closer over the next few days as they spent more time together, but nothing more was mentioned of Tara's sexuality. Willow thought she caught the blonde girl staring at her a few times, but she wasn't sure. For her own part, she had basically come to terms with her attraction to Tara. Now the question was how to find out if Tara felt the same about her. One night, they were in Tara's room reading. They were sitting next to each other on the floor, with their backs against Tara's bed. Willow wasn't getting much reading done, however, and she suddenly turned to Tara with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" she asked bluntly.

"Huh? Oh, um….n-no."

"Have you ever kissed a girl?"

Tara got a deer-in-the-headlights look as she softly replied "No." _Please don't let her think I'm a freak!_

"And no boys either right?"

Tara shook her head.

"I've always known I didn't want that."

"That's cool."

_Her lips are so perfect. And so close…well, here goes nothing_. She leaned slightly toward Tara and pressed her lips against the blonde's.

_What is she doing! She's kissing me?_ Before Tara could really register what was happening, Willow had pulled away and was turning beet-red.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I was wrong..I'm sorry…." She picked up her books as if to go. _What is wrong with me?_

"Wait…why are you going?" Tara scrambled to her feet too.

"Well, I…I thought I freaked you out kissing you like that…I didn't mean to do it like that. It just sort of happened." _Shit! What have I done!_

"No, I just don't understand…why did you kiss me?"

"I thought it was kinda obvious … cause I like you. Isn't that usually the way it works? Or is it different with lesbians? Should I have done something else?"

"You…like me? But I thought you were straight." Tara said bluntly.

"Surprise?" Willow said weakly. "I guess I'm not. I'm sorry, I thought you might like me too, I guess I was wrong, I think I'll be go-"

She was cut off by Tara's lips as she found herself kissing the blonde for the second time that night. She managed a little better than Tara had and kissed her back. She put her arms around Tara's waist and was rewarded by the feel of Tara's hands on her shoulders.

_She's kissing me now? So she does like me? Wow her lips are so soft. Not like Oz or Xander at all. Nice, very nice._

Tara pulled back but stayed in the loose embrace.

"I'm sorry, before…I was just stunned…I couldn't think."

"So you do like me too?" _Yes_!

"I thought it was kinda obvious…" Tara replied with a grin, throwing Willow's own words back at her.

Willow laughed.

"All right, I deserved that. So…want to get dinner and a movie on Friday night?"

"It's a date."


End file.
